Fixing MI Roads: the responsible road funding solution

There’s no getting around it – Michigan’s roads are a mess and are only getting worse.

The Senate recently passed a package of bills that present a simple, straight-forward solution to repair, maintain and improve our roads and bridges. The Senate road funding proposal solves the state’s long-term road funding problem through a combination of reprioritizing existing state resources and new revenue.

The proposal would make road funding a priority by requiring that $700 million from existing income tax revenue goes directly to transportation, before any other state spending. This would help limit the growth of government by demanding more resourceful budgeting. The proposal also retains the principle of having a user fee to pay for the roads.

One of the Senate’s main goals was to ensure that any new revenue would be used exclusively for transportation and infrastructure. This plan guarantees all new revenue will be used to maintain our roads and bridges, providing a dependable source of funding to properly maintain our transportation infrastructure for years to come.

An income tax rollback that will be triggered any time general fund revenue exceeds the rate of inflation will provide relief to taxpayers by returning more of their hard-earned money. Other reforms would ensure competitive bidding and road construction warranties so taxpayers get the most out of their tax dollars.